How to Add a Digital Signature in a Hotmail or Outlook Email

by Kathryn Hatashita-Lee, Demand Media

Your digital signature can include your business contact information.

Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images

Adding a digital signature at the bottom of your email messages gives a custom look to your communications. As you construct your signature, think of how much contact information you wish to include, such as your job title, company name or website address. Microsoft Hotmail and Outlook 2010 offer a variety of fonts and font sizes to make your signature more readable to your viewers.

Microsoft Hotmail

Step 1

Open Microsoft Hotmail and sign in to open the inbox.

Step 2

Click the “Options” button on the right side of the screen to open a list.

Click the “Message font and signature” link in the “Writing email” section to display two panes. The lower pane, labeled “Personal signature,” is where you will add your signature.

Step 5

Select “Rich text” in the “Mode” drop list next to the button displaying the letter “A” and a red underline.

Step 6

Type your signature in the pane. Customize the signature by clicking and selecting the font and font size options you want, such as “Arial” and “10.” Other options include “Align text left” and “Insert a line” to adjust the layout.

Step 7

Click “Save.” The “Hotmail Options” pane appears.

Step 8

Click the “Go to inbox” link to open the “Inbox” pane.

Step 9

Click “New” to open a message with your digital signature.

Outlook 2010

Step 1

Open Outlook and click “Mail” near the lower left corner of the screen.

Step 2

Click “New E-mail” on the “Home” tab to open an untitled message window.

Step 3

Click the “Signature” button in the “Include” group on the “Message” tab to display a list.

Step 4

Click “Signatures” on the list to open the “Signatures and Stationery” dialog box.

Step 5

Click “New” in the “Select signature to edit” section. The small “New Signature” dialog box will open to display a text box. Type a name for this signature. For example, “Work” or “Internal”

Step 6

Click “OK” to save and close this dialog box.

Step 7

Type your signature in the “Edit signature” box. The editing commands include options for font, font size and bold. Other options include inserting a business card or a picture file.

Step 8

Click “OK," then click “New E-mail” on the “Home” tab to open a blank message.

Step 9

Click “Signature” on the “Include” group in the “Message” tab. A list will show your named signature. Click your signature to insert in the new message.

Tips

Try to create a signature with a minimum of distracting graphic elements.

About the Author

Kathryn Hatashita-Lee has written articles and shot images for various publications. Her first children's story appeared in "Winds Through Time" (1998). She earned a B.A. in history at the University of British Columbia and a B.F.A. in photography at the Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design.

Photo Credits

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